बदला (badlaa)
noun/verb
Two related but distinct senses: as a noun it means 'revenge/retaliation,' and as a verb form it is the past participle of बदलना (badalnaa, 'to change'). The noun sense is far more common as a standalone word in speech.
Sense
1
:
revenge, retaliation
noun, masculine Almost always appears with लेना (lenaa) as a light verb: बदला लेना (badlaa lenaa, 'to take revenge'). Can also take चुकाना (chukaanaa) in the sense of 'to settle a score.'
Synonyms: प्रतिशोध (pratishodh, formal), बदला लेना (badlaa lenaa, set phrase, 'to take revenge')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: बदला (badlaa) carries a strong emotional and moral weight in Hindi -- it shows up constantly in Bollywood plots built around family honor and revenge ('बदले की कहानी' badle kii kahaanii, 'a story of revenge'). Note the oblique form बदले (badle) also becomes a common postposition-like phrase, बदले में (badle men, 'in exchange/return'), which is a related but separate use worth knowing.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to translate 'to revenge someone' with बदला (badlaa) directly as a verb; it is a noun and needs लेना (lenaa) -- बदला लेना (badlaa lenaa, 'to take revenge'), never बदला करना (badlaa karnaa). 2) The object of revenge is marked with से (se): उससे बदला लेना (usse badlaa lenaa, 'to take revenge on him'), not को (ko), which trips up learners used to को-marking on people.
Sample Sentences:
वह सालों से अपने भाई की मौत का बदला लेना चाहता है।
He has wanted to take revenge for his brother's death for years.
(vah saalon se apne bhaaii kii maut kaa badlaa lenaa chaahtaa hai।)
आखिरकार उसने अपना बदला ले लिया।
He finally took his revenge.
(aakhirkaar usne apnaa badlaa le liyaa।)
यह फिल्म पूरी तरह बदले की कहानी पर आधारित है।
This film is entirely based on a story of revenge.
(yah philm poorii tarah badle kii kahaanii par aadhaarit hai।)
बदला लेने से पहले एक बार सोच लो।
Think once before taking revenge.
(badlaa lene se pahle ek baar soch lo।)
अगर वह ज़िंदा होता तो अपना बदला ज़रूर लेता।
If he were alive, he would surely have taken his revenge.
(agar vah zindaa hotaa to apnaa badlaa zaroor letaa।)
मुझे डर है कि वह किसी दिन बदला ले सकता है।
I fear that he might take revenge someday.
(mujhe dar hai ki vah kisii din badlaa le saktaa hai।)
गाँव में उसका बदला कई सालों तक चर्चा का विषय रहा।
His revenge remained a topic of discussion in the village for many years.
(gaanv men uskaa badlaa kaii saalon tak charchaa kaa vishay rahaa।)
पुलिस को शक है कि यह हत्या बदले की भावना से की गई थी।
The police suspect that this murder was committed out of a spirit of revenge.
(pulis ko shak hai ki yah hatyaa badle kii bhaavnaa se kii gaii thii।)
क्या तुम सच में उससे बदला लेने की सोच रहे हो?
Are you really thinking of taking revenge on him?
(kyaa tum sach men usse badlaa lene kii soch rahe ho?)
इस उपन्यास में बदले की आग पूरे परिवार को तबाह कर देती है।
In this novel, the fire of revenge destroys the entire family.
(is upanyaas men badle kii aag poore parivaar ko tabaah kar detii hai।)
Sense
2
:
changed (past participle of to change)
verb, intransitive This is the masculine singular perfective form of बदलना (badalnaa, 'to change'), used in past tense constructions: मौसम बदला (mausam badlaa, 'the weather changed'). Full conjugation and agreement patterns are covered under बदलना (badalnaa) in the morphology table.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This form is simply the past tense of the very common verb बदलना (badalnaa) agreeing with a masculine singular subject; it is not a separate word to learn but worth recognizing so you don't confuse it with the noun बदला (badlaa, 'revenge') when you hear it in a sentence.
Sample Sentences:
मौसम बदला है।
The weather has changed.
(mausam badlaa hai।)
उसका मन अचानक बदला।
His mind suddenly changed.
(uskaa man achaanak badlaa।)
पिछले दस सालों में यह शहर बहुत बदला है।
This city has changed a lot in the last ten years.
(pichhle das saalon men yah shahar bahut badlaa hai।)
अगर वह थोड़ा बदला होता, तो हम फिर से दोस्त बन सकते थे।
If he had changed a little, we could have become friends again.
(agar vah thodaa badlaa hotaa, to ham phir se dost ban sakte the।)
क्या तुमने देखा, कमरे का रंग बदला हुआ है?
Did you notice, the color of the room has been changed?
(kyaa tumne dekhaa, kamre kaa rang badlaa huaa hai?)
समय के साथ उसका स्वभाव बदल गया।
Over time, his temperament changed.
(samay ke saath uskaa svabhaav badal gayaa।)
यह नियम कल ही बदला गया था।
This rule was changed only yesterday.
(yah niyam kal hii badlaa gayaa thaa।)
उसका पता बदला गया है, इसलिए चिट्ठी वापस आ गई।
His address has been changed, so the letter came back.
(uskaa pataa badlaa gayaa hai, islie chitthii vaapas aa gaii।)
सरकार बदली, पर हालात नहीं बदले।
The government changed, but the circumstances did not change.
(sarkaar badlii, par haalaat nahiin badle।)
उसकी किस्मत रातों-रात बदल गई।
His fortune changed overnight.
(uskii kismat raaton-raat badal gaii।)
देखो, हवा का रुख बदला हुआ लग रहा है।
Look, the direction of the wind seems to have changed.
(dekho, havaa kaa rukh badlaa huaa lag rahaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
बदला
(badlaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
बदले
(badle)
(pl.m.direct):
बदले
(badle)
(pl.m.oblique):
बदलों
(badlon)
Verb
infinitive:
बदला
(badlaa)
infinitive oblique:
बदलने
(badalne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बदलता
(badaltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बदलते
(badalte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बदलती
(badaltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बदलतीं
(badaltiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बदल रहा
(badal rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बदल रहे
(badal rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बदल रही
(badal rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बदल रहीं
(badal rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बदला
(badlaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बदले
(badle)
perfective (sg.f):
बदली
(badlii)
perfective (pl.f):
बदलीं
(badliin)
imperative (informal):
बदल
(badal)
imperative (neutral):
बदलो
(badlo)
imperative (formal):
बदलिए
(badlie)
future (1sg.m):
बदलूँगा
(badloongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बदलूँगी
(badloongii)
future (1pl.m):
बदलेंगे
(badlenge)
future (1pl.f):
बदलेंगी
(badlengii)
future (2sg.m):
बदलेगा
(badlegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बदलेगी
(badlegii)
future (2pl.m):
बदलोगे
(badloge)
future (2pl.f):
बदलोगी
(badlogii)
future (3sg.m):
बदलेगा
(badlegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बदलेगी
(badlegii)
future (3pl.m):
बदलेंगे
(badlenge)
future (3pl.f):
बदलेंगी
(badlengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बदलूँ
(badloon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बदलें
(badlen)
subjunctive (2sg):
बदले
(badle)
subjunctive (2pl):
बदलो
(badlo)
subjunctive (3sg):
बदले
(badle)
subjunctive (3pl):
बदलें
(badlen)